VIDEO
Omega 101:
The Speedmaster
By The Rebag Watch Team, Mar 16, 2021
Before you get your own, check out Rebag’s ultimate Speedmaster
101 Guide and learn all there is to know about one of the most recognized and beloved Omega watch models in the world.
All About The Omega Speedmaster
Today we’re going to learn everything there is to know about one of Omega’s most popular and desirable watches: the Speedmaster.
History of The Omega Speedmaster
The Omega company dates all the way back to the 19th century and is regarded as one of the finest Swiss watch brands in the world. Omega is known for countless watch designs, but today we’re talking all about their famous Speedmaster.
The Speedmaster was launched in 1957 as a sport and racing chronograph. At the time, chronographs – essentially a stopwatch mechanism – were not very common for casual watches. Instead, this feature was predominantly used in professional settings by engineers, doctors, technicians, or sportsmen. In 1962, the Speedmaster became nationally recognized for its association with NASA when the astronaut Walter Schirra took an Omega watch on a Mercury Program mission to test its chronograph function in space. Then, in 1965 the Speedmaster was officially qualified as a watch to be used in space, and the term “Professional” was added to the model name in order to commemorate its exceptional achievement.
The manual winding Speedmaster Professional, or Moonwatch, is the best-known and longest-produced Speedmaster model. It was even worn by an astronaut walking on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. To this day, the Speedmaster remains one of Omega’s most beloved watches.
Materials & Sizing for the Omega Speedmaster
Currently, the Speedmaster comes in two main sizes:
- The Professional in 42 millimeters
- The Reduced in 39 millimeters
It is considered to be a men’s watch, but in 2002 Omega launched its first ladies’ Speedmaster with a diamond-pave bezel in size 38. Heritage models, like the Calibre 321 chronograph and the Mark II come with slightly different sizing. When it comes to materials, there are a variety of options available for the Speedmaster. There is stainless steel, which is most popular for the Professional Moonwatch model, plus there are combinations of steel, gold, titanium or platinum.
Heritage and anniversary collections can also be found with alligator, leather, rubber, or fabric bands. For example, the Speedmaster Co-Axial chronograph in size 38 millimeter currently comes in steel with yellow gold and diamond bezel, plus an alligator band.
Fashion & Functionality of the Omega Speedmaster
The Speedmaster is considered to be a luxury sports watch. Weighing at just over four ounces, it can be worn as an everyday watch. Some of the most famous owners of this timepiece include Tom Hanks, Daniel Craig, George Clooney, and James Cordon. The iconic Speedmaster, particularly the Moonwatch Professional chronograph model, is equipped with a chronograph, a tachometer function, and a small seconds feature with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.
Originally the Speedmaster came with a Hesalite or acrylic crystal. Modern Speedmasters come with sapphire crystals and some special editions are still produced with acrylic crystals. It also has a five-bar water resistance, meaning it is water-resistant up to 50 meters and is powered by manual winding movement. The Speedmaster line has other models which include analog-digital and automatic mechanical watches.
Omega Speedmaster Limited & Special Editions
Omega still releases new limited editions to this day. Some of these collectible pieces include the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary, to celebrate 50 years of the original Moonwatch; the Schumacher Legend limited edition which honors the most successful Formula One driver; and the Professional Racing Tintin, a watch paying homage to Tintin from the comic “Destination Moon.” Other honorable mentions include the Moonwatch Meteorite in platinum, and the Speedmaster Snoopy Apollo.
And there you have it! Everything you need to know about the Omega Speedmaster.
